Dirigible headlight for vehicles



Oct. 19 1926. v 1I',603`;31"..i

A Y J. M. cALKlNs DRIGIYBLE HEAYDLIGHT FOR VEHICLES Filed Dec. 15 ,ll1924 177 f7@ .45 40-- INVENTOR @4L/17N@ A A72 BY T6 40 73 ATTORNEYSPatented Oct. 19, l 1926i.

UNITED sT.2i.Tr.s

PATENT ortica.

JAMES M. CALKINS,`0F IPEORIA,v ILLINOIS, ASSIGOR T0 SCOTT HEAD LAMPC'ONTROL,

' OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, A CORPORATION OF FLORIDA.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR VEHICLES.

Application fnoa December 15, 1924. serial noveeolv.

My invention relates to improvements in dirigible headlights forvehicles, and it consists in the (ombinations. constructions, andarrangements herein described and claimed,

An objectof my invention is to provide a dirigible headlight forvehicles in which the headlights themselves house the` means forswinging the headlights with the wheels.

and for tilting the headlights forwardly when the headlights are swung.

A vfurther object of my invention is to provide a dirigible headlightfor vehicles in which the pivotal point of the headlights withthesupporting means is .disposed adjacent to the under side of theheadlight casing, whereby the headlight may be more i than is the casewhen the provide a dirigible headlight for vehicles which'is extremelysimple in construction,

and which is durable and efficient for theV purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly point-edout in the appended claims..

My invention is illustrated in the accompanyinggl drawings, forming partof this application, in which` I n Figure 1 is a front elevation of anautomobile showing thel device operatively applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a vertical section through one 'of the lights and operatingmeans,

Figure 3 is a' sectional line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Figure 4 is a section along the 1in'e`4-4 of F1gure'12, o Figure 5 vis adiagrammatic -sectional".view of a modified form of thev` device,"7and``igure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of Figure 75.

In carrying out iew along the my inventionzI make use of onV automobilewhiinis provided with standard fenders 1' and a spindle connectingrod'2. 'A headlight carrying\bar 3 is supported bv the fenders 1 and issecured thereto by means of brackets 4.

In Figure .2 I have clearly shown how the bar 3 supports the plates 4.which are clamped.

thereto by means'o'f straps 5 and bolts 6. The plates 4 have openings 7therein and are slotted at 8 so as to permit the two portions 9 formedby the slot to be drawntogether by means of a bolt 10 so as to clamp thesleeve 11 in the opening 7. In this way, the sleeve 11 is hel-d againstmovement with respect to the plate 5.

A tubular member 12 is rotatably mounted ln'the sleeve 11 and isprovided with an enlarged portionvl that has a shoulder 14 which restsupon the top of the sleeve 11.

The shoulder 14 prevents downwardmovement of the tubular 'member ,12with respect to the sleeve 11. A s'p'lit ring 15 is' received in agroove 16 in the tubular member 12 and bears against the vunder sidev ofthe sleeve' 11' so as to prevent-upward movement of thev tubular member12.

A headlight casing 17 is hinged to the portion 13 at 18 and isprovidedwith an apron 19 that is adapted to slide over a spherical portion 2O ofthe tubular member.l

In Figure 2 it will be noted that the front portion of ai cup-shapedmember 13 is cutaway at 21 s0 as to permit-the casing 17 to swingforwardly. The headlight casing 17 .is of standard construction andhouses a reflector 22 and a lens 23.

In standard headlights there is a space between the reflector 22 and theback of the casing 17 which is designated by A in 'Figure 2. In this'spaceI dispose a plate- 24 that has acam` slot .25 therein. The slotslidably receives a pin 26 which in turn is carrie/d by'a rod 27. The.rod is held against rotation by means of a pin'28 (see Figures 2 and 4)which is connected tothe lower end ofthe rod 27 and which extends intothe platev 5' as shown in Figure'4. Sincev the tubular member 12 rotatesvwith respect to the rod 2.7`,v`it'is.provided-with a`- slot 29 so as'to"` permit the pin 28 to slide in the slot when the'tubular member 12is rotated. The cam slot 25 is designedso as to swing the Vcurved so asto swing the casingN 17 v forwardly in the desired angle.

The means for rotating Vthe tubular 4members 12 comprisesarms 30 whichare secured to the lower ends of the tubular members 12. A split block31 is mounted upon the spindle connecting rod 2 and is locked to the rodby means of bolts 32. The bolts 32 areconnected to the arms 30- by meansof links The connections between the bolts 32, the arms 30, and thelinks 33 are ball joints so as to `permit a ,universal movement betweenthese members. y

From the foregoing descriptionof the various parts of the device, the oeration thereof may be readily understoo The spindle connecting rod 2forms a art of the steering mechanism of the automo ile and is movedlongitudinally when the steering wheel is turned.v The rod 2 in movinglcaryries withit the block 31 which in'turn moves the links 33 so as tocause the arms/ 30 to swing the tubular members 12. The tubular member12 is connectedy to the casin 17 at 18 and also is connected to thecasing rotation of the tubular member 12 will cause the hinge 18 torotate the casing 17 and. will cause thepin 26 and cam 24 to tilt thecasing forwardly. Since the pivot points are so near to the bottom ofthe casing 17 it will requirefvery little force to swing the casing 17`in the manner described. It should be noted that the rear portion ofthe cup-shaped member 13 bears against the under side of the casing 17when the casing is in normal position. The casing will therefore besupported by the upper edge of the cup-'shaped portion 13 and willrelieve the strain 'upon e the pin 26.' x

' In Figures 5 and 6 I have' shown a slightly media-,5 form of thedevice in which aruba- Y lar member 40 is'secured to a headlight. 'cas-.1

. by means of which isfslidably received in the ing 41 at 42. Astationarypin 43 is en-f`I closed by the tubular portion 40 and. hasalle upwardly extending portion '44 which is slidably received in a slot45 in a cam member 46. It will be noted that the cam member 46 is inthis case secured to the reticetor 47 instead of to the casing as inFigurev 2. The reflector is pivotally carried b the casing 41 at 48 soas to permit the reiiyector to swing forwardly. O eration of this formof the device isb). as fo lows: The tubular member 40 is rotated in thesamyewmanner as the tubular member 12 in Figure ,2, and carries thecasing 41-therewith. Thecasing in this instance does not swing forwardlThe reiector, however, is swung forwardy the upwardly extending i-n 44.

cam s ot 45. Since the pin.44 is lheld stationary, it will tilt saidheadlights-downwardly w move the cam member 46 and reflector 47 withrespect to the casing 41 so as to tilt the reflector forwardly, and thusthrow the beams of light. downwardly.

I claim :l o 1. A diri ible headlight vconstruction comprising hea ightsupports adapted to be carried by an ,automobile,headlig ts carried bysaid supports, means 4for swinging said headlights 1n the same directionas the wheels, a reilectormounted in each headlight and means forautomatically swinging said .reflectors` downwardly with respect to saidheadli lits when said headlights are swung witht e wheels. -2.. Adirigible headlight comprising headlight supports, vadapted to becarried by an automobile, headlight swinging members rotatabl carried bysaid supports, 'headlights hinge y'secured to said headlight Swinginmembers,vand means disposed 1n said' hea lights for automaticallyswinging said headlights downwardly with respect to said headlights whensaid headlights are swung with the wheels.

3. A dirigible headlight construction cornprisin headlight supportsadapted to be carrie b an automobile, a headlight carry-- ingrmem errotatably disposed in said suports', a headlight hingedly secured toeach headlight carrying member, a cam plate dis-l posed ln eachheadlight, a stationary finger engaging with said cam plates to tiltsaid headlights downwardly when said headlights are swung by saidheadlight carrying members. i

4. A dirigibleiheadlight construction comprism carrie by an automobile,a headlight carrying member rotatably disposed in said support, aheadlight hingedly secured to each`-headlight carrying member, a camplate disposed kin each headlight, .a stationary linger engaging withs'aid cam lates to Een said headlights are swung by said headlightcarrying-members, and means operatively connecting said headlightcarrying members the steering mechanism of an automo- 1 e.

5. A dirigible headlight construction comprising carrie by anautomobile, a hollow headlight carrying member rotatabl disposed in saidsupports, a headlight rigi y secured toeach headlight carryingI member,a rod disposed in said hollowA headlight carryin members, means .forrigidly securing sai rods to said supports, a pin carried` by each oflsaid rods,l and means coo erating with said pins-disposed in saidheadlights for au- `tomatically swinging said headlights downwardl whenSai the w eels.

headlights are swung with JAMES M. cALKINs.l

headlight supports adapted to be.

headlight supports adapted tobe'

